Oprichting van de meiboom van de Gobelins ter ere van Charles le Brun 1647 - 1714

Editor: So, this print is called "Oprichting van de meiboom van de Gobelins ter ere van Charles le Brun" – quite a mouthful! – and it was made sometime between 1647 and 1714 by Sébastien Leclerc I. It depicts the raising of a maypole. The details are incredible, but the smoke and the pole really confuse my eyes. It feels chaotic yet organized somehow. What do you make of it? Curator: Chaotic is a great word! It feels like a snapshot of a carefully orchestrated event teetering on the edge of complete disarray, doesn't it? Imagine the energy in that courtyard! You have all this activity – the pole being raised, the people milling around, even what looks like a fire in the background – all rendered in this very precise medium of engraving. It is history rendered in very fine lines. Editor: The fire in the background is unexpected! Does that fire have any relevance? Curator: Absolutely! The fire, as well as the maypole, add another layer of understanding. This engraving wasn't just showing the construction; it shows the tapestry works too. That fire could have been destructive but there is a possibility that Leclerc purposefully added this to communicate an understanding of risk, craft, as well as celebration. So it feels less like random chaos and more like a carefully constructed stage, don't you think? A grand performance in ink, meant to impress upon us all these details, at once! Editor: Yes! I hadn't thought about the fire symbolically. The tapestry and the May Pole… Thanks to you, that tension now makes sense, chaos and craftsmanship united on one page. Curator: Exactly! I learn something new from this print every time. It is quite rewarding, wouldn't you agree?